Boise National Forest closes Danskin trails temporarily until damage can be repaired

A pine tree falls across Trail #531

Damage on Trail #512

Hi all,

The Boise National Forest put out a news release on April 8, indicating that it will be closing the trails in the Danskin Mountains area for several weeks because of wet, muddy conditions. The long, wet winter also has caused some damage on the trails.

Here's the text of the news release:

Mountain Home, ID - The U.S. Forest Service Mountain Home Ranger District has extended indefinitely the closure for the motorized access on all trails in the Danskin Mountain OHV Area to minimize trail damage and protect resources due to lingering snow and continued rainfall that have led to very wet trail conditions. This closure prohibits all motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle travel on designated trails within the Danskin Mountains OHV Area.

Mountain Home District Ranger Stephaney Church extended the closure past the anticipated ending on April 10, due to the cool wet weather this spring. District staff reviewed part of the trail system and encountered washed out culverts, down trees, and cut slope failures. Trail restrictions are annually put in place starting January 1 and last through the early season in order to reduce potential motor vehicle damage on soft or muddy trails.

“As conditions now stand, I anticipate the closure could be extended through to April 21, or even longer,” Church said. “We will continue to monitor trail conditions on a weekly basis and open the area to motorized travel just as soon as conditions allow.” The extension will allow the system to continue to dry and allow for completion of needed repairs.

(end news release)

As an alternative, OHV enthusiasts may want to ride in the Owyhee Mountains near Murphy, accessing trails from one of several BLM trailheads. Or, look for a spring riding destinations on our web site, www.stayontrails.com.

Caribou-Targhee National Forest closes 377 illegally created trails, roads

This trail was closed with rocks

This fall, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest got serious about closing illegal roads and trails. The forest closed 377 illegally created roads and trails on seven different ranger districts spanning from Henry's Lake to Malad in eastern Idaho. The trail closures affected approximately 50 miles of unauthorized routes.

Here's a link to the story written by outdoor editor Rob Thornberry of the Idaho Falls Post-Register about the trail-closure projects.

Kris Millgate of Tightline Productions produced a video about the issue as well. Go to her video vault page and click on the "Trails Close" video dated 8/18/10 to see her piece.

The Caribou-Targhee's action is emblematic of the steps being taken by national forests in Idaho -- and elsewhere -- that have completed travel management NEPA processes and are taking the next step to close and decommission illegal trails and roads. The hard part can be finding a way to fund the heavy equipment work involved in closing roads and trails. The Caribou-Targhee received $285,000 in federal stimulus money to get the job done, the Post Register reported.

Some OHV riders have protested the closures, arguing that some of the trails have value and should be retained. Others feel that the way the Forest Service is closing the trails is ugly and unsightly.

Millgate's video quotes Alan Crockett, an Idaho Falls mountain biker, who felt that some of the grassy two-tracks that were closed should have been left open to mountain biking.

Gary Oswald, an Idaho Falls hunter, said, "It makes the forest look like hell. "Unless you dig a pit around the entire forest, people are going to go in there and break the law."

Counters Wes Stumbo of the Caribou-Targhee forest, "I can't argue that it is not butt ugly, but we can't stand by and ignore the problem."

"Illegal use of (all-terrain vehicles) is a huge problem," Stumbo told the Post-Register. "Unmanaged recreation is one of the top four threats to the health of the forests across the country, and 85 to 90 percent of the time, the problem is illegal ATV use. This work is an answer to that threat."

The Boise National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Four Rivers Office collaborated on a fence project recently to stop OHV riders from pioneering illegal routes on top of the Boise Ridge and on North Eighth Street. These were egregious examples of people wantonly creating illegal routes, according to federal officials, and a fence was the only way to stop the activity.

Responsible OHV riders and clubs know that illegal off-trail riding gives all OHV riders a black eye, and they discourage the practice. But sometimes the only sure way to stop the creation or use of illegal trails is to put up a bullet-proof blockade.

Agencies launch aerial patrols near Challis to monitor hunter compliance with road, trail closures

Head's up OHV hunters, the public agencies charged with enforcing motorized road and trail closures during hunting season are watching you.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, Challis Field Office, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Salmon worked together to conduct aerial patrols during deer hunting season to check on compliance with motorized road and trail closures.

No citations were issued as a result of the patrols, which were educational in nature, agency officials said.

The BLM has an approved travel plan for the Challis region, and the Salmon-Challis National Forest recently approved its travel plan, but the appeal period was still open when the patrols occurred. The aerial patrols focused on hunting areas closed to motorized use where violations have occurred repeatedly in past years, officials said. These areas included the upper Pahsimeroi River area, Little Lost River, East Fork of the Salmon River and Lost River drainage.

The Challis Messenger reported on a meeting with the Custer County Commissioners, in which agency officials talked about the aerial and ground patrols. Click on the images posted on this blog to read the article from that meeting.

No further aerial patrols are expected to occur in the Challis area this year. Agency officials said that aerial patrols have been used in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest area several times in the past.

Feel free to comment about the aerial patrols in the comments section below.